Top 20 Most Deserved Punches to the Face in Anime

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Well-Deserved Punches to the Face in Anime.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the times in anime where characters for one reason or another got a much needed set of knuckles to the money maker. The characters that get punched don’t have to necessarily be evil, just so long as fist meets face and it's justified.

Which anime character do you think deserved a good slug to the face? Let us know in the comments below.

“Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls” (2015)

With a monster waifu this cute, who wouldn’t want to defend her honor? After the lovely Lamia Miia moves in with him, Kimihito does everything to ensure she has a comfortable stay, including taking her out on a “date”. Unfortunately, complications arise after they cross paths with a pair of monster-hating humans who start to insult Miia. The fact that Miia can’t retaliate or defend herself against them without getting into trouble, makes their actions all the more deplorable. Thankfully, she has Kimihito by her side and his patience with the rude couple quickly runs out. Going beyond human limits, Kimihito puts both bigots in their place with an impressive double knockout.

“Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam” (1985-86)

With his arrogant personality and hot-headed nature, it’s no surprise that Kamille often gets himself into troublesome situations. Especially, when someone breaks the taboo of making fun of his feminine sounding name. When Kamille crosses paths with the Titan officer Jerid Messa, the former purposefully makes fun of his name. This causes Kamille to act rashly and defend his honour by punching Jerid right in the kisser. While Jerid more than deserves that blow to the face, Kamille’s actions cause him to suffer an even more brutal beating. Hope it was worth it dude.

“Fire Force” (2019-20)

Shinra may be a hero, but that won’t stop him from putting the boots, or fists in this case, to anyone that dares to mess with his comrades. When Company Eight’s resident nun Iris gets taken hostage by rival unit Company Five, Shinra and the rest of his team declare all out war. When he finally meets Company Five’s leader Hibana, he engages her in an intense standoff. After her traumatic past is revealed, Shinra powers through Hibana’s powerful and debilitating pyrokinesis, and frees her from her past self with a powerful right hook to the face. In doing so he not only incinerates her corrupted emotions, but ignites her passion as well.

“Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World” (2016-21)

Even the best anime heroes need a punch to the face every now and then. Especially protagonists like Subaru. After being forced to endure one hell after another during the Sanctuary’s trials, as well as discovering the true depths of Echidna’s sociopathic nature and Roswaal’s madness, Subaru appears to reach his mental limits. Trapped in an impossible situation without any chance of victory, Subaru finds himself drowning in despair. Fortunately, Subraru is saved by the merchant Otto who sets him straight by reminding him to trust his friends, with a good old punch to the face.

“Barakamon” (2014)

No one likes it when something they’ve worked so hard on is suddenly ridiculed and dismissed so easily by some snob who thinks he knows better. Most of us would probably just grit our teeth and try to get over it. Not Seishu Handa. After his calligraphy is mocked by a well-respected critic, Handa lets his anger get the better of him and delivers one hell of a swing, knocking the older gentleman out cold. This action, while hilarious in its execution, serves as the tipping point for the series as Handa skips town due to the scandal, hoping to find himself along the way.

“Durarara!!” (2010)

For a guy who does not like violence, Shizuo has a very short temper. During one of his attempts to destroy Izaya, Shizuo finds himself surrounded by a gang of Dollars who also have a bone to pick with the notorious info broker. Rather than play it safe and back off, one Dollar’s overwhelming fear causes him to make the biggest mistake of his life: lashing out at Shizuo. In retaliation, Shizuo not only devastates the entire gang with his bare hands, but punches his initial attacker so hard that he literally knocks him out of his clothes. Just goes to show, don’t ever mess with the strongest man in Ikebukuro.

“Attack on Titan” (2013-)

You know a character is truly hated, when they have memes dedicated to their brutal comeuppance. As a native Marleyan, the Eldian child soldier Gabi was raised into hating the people of Paradis Island to the point of extreme fanaticism. After Eren and the Survey Corps launch an assault on Marley, Gabi attempts to get revenge for her people, regardless of the overwhelming odds. This leads her to shoot and kill long running character Sasha Blouse, causing many of her comrades to seek retribution by brutally beating Gabi. Even though she’s only twelve years old, Gabi’s actions have sparked intense rage not only among the Survey Corps, but from the internet at large. Thankfully, this paved the way for an incredible redemption arc.

“Gate” (2015-16)

Who knew that beating an arrogant prince could have even more of an impact than an earthquake? While visiting Emperor Molt, the ruler of the Empire, the JSDF’s peaceful visit soon takes an ugly turn after they discover that Molt’s son Zorzal has enslaved a Japanese citizen. Furious at seeing Zorzal’s cruel treatment of his fellow citizen, Lieutenant Itami lashes out with a brutal left hook to the face. However, it isn’t until his subordinate Kuribayashi gets involved that Zorzal learns the true meaning of pain. She may be petite, but she’s still a soldier.

“A Certain Magical Index” (2008-11)

You will rarely find yourself cheering on a teenage boy as he knocks out a nun - but he’s in the right. In order to save his friend from being killed, Touma fights his way past the militia of battle-hardy nuns known as the Agnese forces until eventually engaging with their leader, the fiercely devout Agnese Sanctis. Even if she’s armed with a weapon like the Lotus Wand, she’s no match for Touma’s ability to break apart all magic in his path, followed by a swift knuckle-sandwich. Was that a sin? I think that was a sin.

“Akame Ga Kill” (2014)

The assassin group Night Raid deal with some heavy stuff on a daily basis, but lucky for them there’s always big sister Leone there to keep them upbeat. That’s what made this scene all the sadder. Prime Minister Honest, which he most certainly wasn’t, was a heartless glutton who would do whatever it took to secure more power for himself. As the two come to blows, Honest empties a whole series of bullets into the assassin, but like the lion she is, Leone still finds the strength to pummel in his fat face. The end is a bittersweet one at that, as a terrible villain is finally silenced, but a noble warrior is lost in the process.

“Yu Yu Hakusho” (1992-94)

He may be human, but Tarukane’s cruel nature rivals that of any demon. After capturing the Ice Apparition Yukina, Tarukane locks her up for several years and forces her to produce valuable jewels from her tears. Despite Yukina’s kind nature, Tarukane does not hesitate to torture her physically and mentally to satiate his own greed. Karma eventually catches up to him when Yusuke and his allies put a stop to his operations and force him into bankruptcy. Things only get worse for Tarukane after he gets cornered by Yukina’s brother Hiei, who inflicts divine retribution onto him, one brutal blow after another.

“Gurren Lagann” (2007)

Sometimes brotherly love hurts. During a scuffle with the Beastmen, young Simon starts to lose faith in his own abilities and buckles under the strain of conflict. Well, Kamina isn’t having any of that! Ejecting from his own Gunman, he lets his little brother know exactly what he thinks of his morbid outlook with a loving punch to the face. Snapping him out of his bleak trance, Kamina offers some comforting words about belief and inner strength. To be honest, just the threat of another punch from the manliest man in anime would be enough for us.

“Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works” (2014-15)

Despite fighting for the opposing team, Lancer is willing to risk his own life for those he admires. As the Fifth Holy Grail War comes to a close, Lancer is forced to take his own life after refusing to take that of Rin, for the sake of his master Kirei’s twisted desires. However, it takes more than a cursed spear to the chest to eliminate this servant, who gladly takes Kirei out of the competition. With both Lancer and Kirei seemingly out of the picture, Shinji, who by this point has lost most of his marbles, attempts to get handsy with Rin. Fortunately, Lancer is still around to discipline him with an epic backhand. A true man until the very end.

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)

Anyone who dares to harm a hair on Eri’s head, is in for a world of pain. As the battle against the villainous Yakuza comes to a close, Midoriya pulls all the stops to save the abused girl from the clutches of her tormentor, Overhaul. Thanks to the power of Eri’s Quirk, Midoriya is able to unleash the full power of One For All, giving Overhaul the beating he rightfully deserves. In the end, Overhaul’s monstrous form proves no match for Deku at 100% as he delivers the coup de grace with a final epic smash to Overhaul’s beak.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

And the award for worst father goes to this guy. While revered among State Alchemists for his creation of a Chimera capable of human speech, the Life-Sewing Alchemist is a man who will do whatever it takes to ensure success. Case and point, when he merged the bodies of his daughter and her pet dog to create a brand new chimera. Not only is the scene heart-breaking, it leads to vicious beat-down via some frantic automail punches on Edward’s behalf. This rather harrowing encounter is made all the worse when a bloody and beaten Tucker informs him that the Elric brothers are just like him because of what happened to their mother. Give’m another one, Ed!

“HunterxHunter” (2011-14)

You know a character has balls when they go out of their way to take a stand in an auditorium full of well-regarded Hunters, just so they can tell a father to go and visit his son. Following Gon’s hospitalization due to his battle with Nerfapitou, Leorio thinks that Ging should move his ass and check in on him. Ging doesn’t seem to get the message, infuriating the Hunter to no end, which leads him to bust out his power of Emission. Even if you’re regarded as a legend, Leorio won’t hesitate to land a well-placed Warping Punch to anyone who neglects his friend so easily.

“That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” (2018-21)

She may not be the main character, but this ogre turned waifu can dish out epic punches like no other. After arriving at the Demon Lords’ banquet, Rimuru finally takes his revenge against Clayman for orchestrating the attack on his home of Tempest. After exposing his web of lies and backing him into a corner, Clayman attempts to fight his way out of a rather sticky situation. Rather than fight Clayman himself, Rimuru allows Shion to stand in his stead. Despite not being a Demon Lord herself, Shion easily overpowers Clayman and beats him so badly that you almost feel sorry for him… almost.

“Gintama” (2006-18)

For a guy who holds immense political authority, Nobu Nobu really can’t take a punch. Ruthless and arrogant, Nobu Nobu has performed plenty of immoral actions in his quest to become Shogun. Hence, it is only natural that karma would get back at him in some way. After an assassination attempt on the Shogun Shige Shige ends in failure, the would be usurper is visited by one of his subordinates, the battle-loving Kamui. In a surprising twist, Kamui ends up knocking his employer's teeth out due to a case of mistaken identity. Even though this moment reveals that Nobu Nobu is nothing more than a pawn in a much bigger game, there is still some satisfaction watching his smug face get wrecked by Kamui’s lethal fist.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders” (2014-15)

Honestly, why would you ever think threatening a guy like Jotaro Kujo would work in your favor? After using his Stand known as The Lovers to make the Joestar descendent his unwilling slave, Steely Dan has him cater to his whims under threat of killing his grandfather. Unfortunately for Dan, Jotaro’s allies manage to free Joseph, foil his plan, and leave him defenseless in the face of a very angry Jotaro. Considering all the gloating and murder that this lowlife committed, we were pretty satisfied seeing Star Platinum unleashed and delivering what has to be the beating of a lifetime. There is no coming back from that many Ora’s.

“One Piece” (1999-)

This anime is home to some of the most epic punches you’ll ever see. From Whitebeard smashing Akainu’s face into a pancake, to Luffy shutting up Bellamy for running his mouth too much. However, none were more satisfying than when the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates socked a Celestial Dragon so hard he sent him flying through the wall. For those not in the know, the Celestial Dragons are considered untouchable, the most holy of holy and they get whatever they want. Hitting one is a war-crime. Unfortunately for them, Luffy doesn’t give a damn. When one of them wounds his friend, he holds nothing back.